Iran breaches n-stockpile limit set under 2015 deal

Iran on Monday breached the limit on its stockpile of low-enriched uranium set under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, the media reported.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the country increased the level of its low-enriched uranium production to over 300 kg as it had announced earlier "in line with Articles 26 and 36 of the 2015 nuclear deal", officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Press TV reported.

"According to my information, Iran has surpassed the 300 kg limit (in producing low-enriched uranium) and we had already announced (that we were planning to do) this," Zarif told ISNA news agency.

Iran's move comes in response to reinstated US sanctions.

Earlier, Fars news agency cited a source as saying that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors had measured the stockpile on Monday and confirmed it had surpassed the cap.

An IAEA spokesman told the BBC that it was aware of the reports, adding: "Our inspectors are on the ground and they will report to headquarters as soon as the LEU (low-enriched uranium) stockpile has been verified." IANS